Wash the tender drumstick leaves and set aside.Wash toor dal/masoor dal and transfer into a pressure cooker.Add in the veggies and the drumstick leaves along with salt, sugar and turmeric. Cook until 2-3 hisses and let it cool.Extract tamarind juice from the tamarind and pour that into the cooked sambar.Add in the sambar powder and let it simmer. Adjust the consistency by adding water.Meanwhile prepare the seasoning by heating oil and the rest of the ingredients. Pour the seasoning into the boiling sambar.Cover and remove from heat. Serve hot with rice and papad.

BM #71 Week 3 Day 2 -Check out this everyday meal combination which has a comforting dal and sabji, roti, rice and raitha. This sabji is not something I would have tried out before. On a casual call to my sister, Jaya, she mentioned that this was a very good combination for a sabji and that an efficient way to clean out the refrigerator of all the miscellaneous vegetables. This was an instant hit with my husband and my older one. Owing to eggplant allergy I had to refrain for tasting it.Recipe Source JayaIngredients -Eggplant / Vankaya 2 medium sizeCauliflower florets 1 cup Potatoes peeled and cubed 1/2 cupGreen Beans or Chikkudukaya stringed and chopped 1/2 cupOnion, chopped 1/2 cupSalt, Turmeric and Red chili powder as neededSeasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Urad Dal 1/2 tsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp, Curry leaves few)To Grind -Coriander leaves handfulFresh Coconut 2 TbspGreen Chilies as neededTamarind extract to taste (I added homemade tamarind extract from a lime sized portion of tamarind )

Method Of Preparation -

In a heated pan, add oil and the rest of the seasoning ingredients. After the mustard seeds pop and the dals are brown, add onions and saute until golden brown.Then add in the chopped eggplant, potatoes and green beans.Sprinkle turmeric and few drops of water, cover and let it cook for about 5-6 minutes.Meanwhile, make a paste of the ingredients listed under 'To grind'. Set aside.Now add in the cauliflower florets, mix well and check to see if more water is needed.Add in the masala paste, salt and mix well. Adjust the flavors and sprinkle red chili powder if needed.Cover and let the flavors blend in. Remove from heat and serve warm with rice/roti.

BM #71 Week 3 Day 1 -For this week I have chosen to highlight an entire meal as in a thali. Today's meal shows a special platter which is typically prepared when we have close friends over. In this thali I made.. Rice, Roti, Salad, Dondakaya Fry, Capsicum Masala, Mango Dal, Drumstick Rasam, Lemon Pickle, Beerakaya Pachadi, Papad, Yogurt and Instant Dates Kheer.

In a heated pan, add oil and the rest of the seasoning. After the mustard seeds pop and the dals are brown, add onion.Saute onion and after it is golden brown, add the tomatoes and chopped capsicum and cook until almost mushy.Grind the ingredients into a fine paste and add it to the simmering vegetable mixture adding a little water as needed.Cook for a few minutes so the flavors blend in.Remove from heat and serve it warm with rice or roti.

BM #71 Week 2 Day 3 - For Day 3, here is a no-nonsense type of a vegetable fry which my kids love to have with dal / rasam. Lot of people have a preference regarding the of the shape tindora/dondakaya is chopped in. I have grown up eating this fry which was chopped in thin circles. Of course, it is a laborious and time taking process to finely chop them. But with some modern gadgets, I chop them finely for my husband and have dispensed with the circular cut of dondakaya. The kids love this lengthwise cut of the vegetable.

I have already posted another version of Tindora Fry with onions in it. Here is the No onion-no garlic version. I made this as part of a thali meal which I shall feature next week.

Ingredients -Tindora / Dondakaya , washed and chopped lengthwise about 1/2 lb [I used the frozen variety thawed on the counter for an hour]Salt, Turmeric and Red Chili powder as neededCoconut powder 1 tspOil 1 Tbsp* If I forget to thaw the frozen packet I just pop it into the MW for a couple minutes or put the packet in hot water for 10 minutes.

Method Of Preparation -

In a heated pan, add oil and the chopped tindora.Fry for a few minutes while mixing gently. Sprinkle turmeric and gently mix or toss. [It typically takes about 15-20 minutes.]When the vegetable turns a shade of brown and appears cooked through, sprinkle salt, red chili powder and coconut powder.Serve warm with a side of rice and dal/sambar/rasam.

BM #71 Week 2 Day 2 - For Day 2 of one pot meals, here is a delectable halwa which I pulled right out of my drafts. I had made this halwa when I was doing the Cooking Carnival in September 2016. I have since exhausted my stock of Jowar rava which I had got from my trip to India over the summer. I intend making the rava at home but that will have to wait for a better time :)Ingredients -Jowar Rava 1 cupWater 2 cups (Can be substituted with milk)Sugar 3/4 cupButter 3 TbspCardamom PowderAlmonds, Cashews Coarsely Crushed 1/4 cup

Method Of Preparation -

Roast the jowar rava in a tablespoon of butter in a heated skillet until golden brown. Add water and bring to a boil, mixing it briskly to eliminate any lumps. Add more butter as needed.Then add sugar, crushed almonds, cashews and cardamom powder.Mix well until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and let it cook for a few minutes. It should take about 7-8 min to get done.Garnish with roasted cashews and serve warm.

To Prepare the Gravy - In heated pan, add oil and add almonds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper coriander seeds and cumin seeds. After they turn aromatic, add in the ginger-garlic-green chili paste. Saute for a few seconds.Then add in the chopped onion and saute until translucent. toss in the chopped tomatoes. After the tomatoes turn mushy, remove from heat and blend them smoothly.OrI took the easy way out - Put all the ingredients (except oil) listed under 'For the gravy' into a Vitamix blender and blend it using the 'Soup' Option. The gravy will be ready piping hot in about 6-7 minutes.For the Kurma - Parboil the broccoli, cauliflower and carrots and set aside.In a heated pan, add oil and the rest of the seasoning. Pour in the gravy and let it simmer for a few minutes until the oil oozes out.Add in salt and turmeric and also the parboiled vegetables.Let the vegetables simmer in the flavorful gravy for about 5 minutes. Add in the yogurt, mix well and adjust flavors if needed.

BM #71 Week 1 Day 2 -For today, explore the flavor of this simple soup with Broccoli and potato. I found that the soup was a meal by itself when paired with croutons and salad. My older one who loves broccoli in a salad found it hard to take in the soup. I didn't think of it as surprising as she is not a soup person. My little one was so happy to slurp in this soup for dinner. In fact she asked me to save the soup for her for the next day's dinner as well. My husband just slurped his soup with no comment. So I got a wide spectrum of reviews for this soup :).Ingredients -Broccoli Florets 3 cupsPotato peeled and cubed 1.5 cupsWater or Vegetable Stock 4-5 cupsSalt and Pepper as neededSeasoning (Oil/Butter 1 Tbsp, Garlic grated 1 tsp, Cinnamon 1/2 inch, Cloves 2-3)

Method Of Preparation -

In a pressure cooker or a heavy bottomed pan, add oil/butter and saute garlic until golden brown. Saute the cinnamon and cloves as well.Add in the potatoes and broccoli. Add water or vegetable stock and cook for about 15 minutes or about 2 hisses.Upon cooling, blend the boiled mixture into a smooth soup.Pour it back into a heated pan, sprinkle adequate salt and pepper. Let it simmer.Serve warm with salad and croutons for a filling meal.

BM #71 Week 1 Day 1 -This week I have chosen to post some recipes with Broccoli as the main ingredient. These healthy cutlets qualify under the 'Snacks/Appetizers' Category.Fortunately for us, there is no need to disguise broccoli as the kids are also fond of it. These cutlets were thoroughly enjoyed by all of us in the form of chaat with all the accomapniments.

In a heated pan, add oil and grated garlic. Saute for a few seconds and then add onion.Saute onion until it turns golden brown. Add in the minced broccoli, salt and green chili and cook for a couple of minutes.Remove from heat. Allow it to slightly cool. Add the mashed potato and mix well.Prepare the filling by mixing the crumbled paneer, salt and chaat masala. Set aside.Pinch a tablespoon of the broccoli mixture, flatten it a little, put in a little of the paneer filling and close the edges to form a dumpling with paneer as the filling. Slightly flatten it and shallow fry on a heated griddle.Continue with the rest of the mixture.Serve with chutneys of your choice. I served it as a chaat with green chutney, Date-tamarind chutney, onion, tomato, beaten yogurt and sev.------

I also made another batch with no onion, no garlic and no spice for my little one and they were just as delightful. I just mixed the coarsely minced broccoli, mashed potato and crumbled paneer, added salt and chaat masala. Shaped them as cutlets and shallow fried them on the griddle.

BM #70 Week 4 Day 3 - On a lazy weekend morning, I asked my little one what her preference for breakfast would be. I ran out of options to cite for her and so she said she would think and let me know in a few minutes.She first said pancakes and on second thoughts asked me what fruits we had at home. I told her we had bananas, apples, kiwi, canned pineapple and couple of strawberries.She then randomly came up with banana and pineapple pancakes. We added the others as and when we were mixing the batter. She later on said she would have loved kiwi, coconut flakes and chocolate chips as a topping. So that is for the next time!!

Whisk in the flours, baking powder, cinnamon sugar and salt. Add in the walnuts and coat them with the flour.Blend the milk, yogurt and 3/4 of the banana into a smooth mixture.Pour the smoothie into the flour mixture and gently mix to make a lump free batter. Add more milk to get the right consistency.Fold in the pineapples and chopped banana into the batter.Heat a griddle and grease it with butter.Pour a ladle full of batter on the hot griddle, wait for bubbles to pop and flip. Let it cook on the other side as well and remove. Continue with the rest of the batter.Serve them with maple syrup and fruits on top and a glass of milk for a filling breakfast.

BM # 70 Week 4 Day 2 - I love the dosa varieties which don't require fermentation and I found that this is a very nutritious adai which falls in that category. I saw in my facebook feed and immediately bookmarked to try. I knew my husband wouldn't like it but gave it a try anyway. Surprisingly my older one loved it and she made a request for a repeat of this adai. I couldn't be happier!!Recipe Source hereIngredients -Cracked wheat 1 cup (Wheat rava of any grain size can be used)Chana Dal 1/4 cupToor dal 1/4 cupUrad dal 1/4 cupCumin seeds 1 tspRed Chillies 2-3Asafotida a pinchGinger 1 inch Salt as neededCarrot, grated 1/4 cup Cabbage finely chopped 3 TbspOnion finely chopped 1/2 cupCoriander leaves finely chopped 2 tbsp

Method Of Preparation -

Soak Cracked wheat for a couple of hours. In a separate bowl soak chana dal, urad dal, toor dal and red chilies for about 4-5 hours. (I soaked both cracked wheat and the dals over night separately).Drain and grind the dals and ginger using as much water as needed to make a fine batter. Towards the end of the grinding cycle add the drained cracked wheat so it is blended well into the batter.In the ground batter, add cumin seeds, chopped vegetables, salt and asafotida. Add adequate batter to adjust the consistency of the batter.Heat a griddle, pour a ladel full of batter and gently spread to make a 5-6 inch adai. Spray oil as needed, cover and let it cook. Flip and cook the underside as well.Remove and continue with the next adai.Serve warm with any choice of chutney.